Mysteriously multiplying Christmas trees in Brooklyn

“How did my seven-unit building produce ten dumped trees? Don’t ‘miracle of Christmas’ me, Brooklyn, you’ve got some explaining to do,” says playwright and keen-eyed New Yorker Mike Lew.

Any theories?

Read Full Post »

Brooklyn: Slideshow at Open Source Gallery, Oct. 14

Urban Plant Research is back in action in Brooklyn! On October 14, we’re presenting a slideshow and discussion at Open Source Gallery in South Slope, as part of the gallery’s ‘Church of Monika’ program of Sunday morning art-related gatherings.

Read Full Post »

Brooklyn: Nighttime weeds along the Gowanus Canal

On a recent warm night while traversing the Gowanus Canal, I spied a couple suspicious green characters lurking about, like this many-headed ivy monster…

Read Full Post »

Brooklyn: Trees wearing sweaters

The weather has been very mercurial lately, swinging from warm summery days for short sleeves to gusty days like today when I go back inside to get my sweater. The weather is whipping the trees around too and I bet some of them would be happy to have sweaters too, like these trees I saw in Brooklyn back in January. 

Read Full Post »

A great closing to a great time at Open Source gallery

Now that we’ve had a breather after our breathless and beautiful residency at South Slope’s Open Source, I want to start sharing images and footage of what we did there for those who couldn’t make it – and also for those who did visit and contribute, but want to revisit! This video captures just one song of many from our closing event, the Jam for the Plants.

Read Full Post »

Our residency at Open Source has begun!

Urban Plant Research’s first New York exhibition and residency began last Saturday at Open Source Gallery in Brooklyn! It kicked off with an opening party filled with friends, neighbors, fellow artists and plant lovers, pizza and beer.

Read Full Post »

Brooklyn: Urban Plant Videos!

On July 12, in the high noon sun, I caught sight of a plant living down below the street, underneath the subway grates at 9th Street and 6th Avenue.

Read Full Post »

Brooklyn: Climbing plants (in and out of control)

With the ivy-graffiti still on my mind, I’d like to share some more amazing instances of climbing plants I’ve discovered in Park Slope. This photograph that I took a little while ago, with its lush, dark ivy, reminds me of Leslie’s photograph of Juncker’s Hotel Garni, minus the beautiful way the ivy flows into windowboxes.

Read Full Post »

Brooklyn: Ivy-graffiti, revisited

Last fall, I was impressed by the multi-colored transformation of ivy on the side of a building above the Prospect Highway, which outdid the artistry of the graffiti underneath it. To my dismay, I recently discovered that the ivy has been cut back and entirely removed from the lower part of the wall, leaving a mass of dead leaves on dead branches still clinging to higher part of the wall, extending almost to the roof, out of reach.

Read Full Post »

Brooklyn: Garden space

My roommate Phyllis working in her vegetable garden in the overgrown garden in our backyard. Bird’s eye view.

Read Full Post »